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The present invention seeks to overcome the limitation of prior art components by the development of a vehicular enclosure design/configuration that looks like a car or truck. This is accomplished by producing a multipurpose generic looking car or truck, preferably molded as a one-piece unit, having graphics and play accessories added to change the look of the car or truck. For example, with graphics and play accessories added, the car can be changed to look like a police car, racing car, and the like while the truck can be changed to look like a fire truck, loader, bulldozer and the like. The result is that children will play with a more realistic looking unit with which they will become more familiar in later life.
Children love crawling through a maze of interconnected tubular play structures typically located at various fast food restaurants. These tubular structures are connected to different styles of climbing units, modular components, corner units and other connecting structure to create a multi-level climbing experience for children. To enhance the climbing and play experience, a variety of components have been incorporated into such interconnected tubular play structures. For example, a recreational equipment junction box for comer connections is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,387,165; a transparent junction ball is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,540,636; and a variety of different vertical lateral, rocking-type and multi-directional equipment devices are shown, respectively in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,669,855; 5,692,993; 5,695,407 and 5,683,301. While all of these components enhance the play experience and most include the use of transparent windows to facilitate viewing by children from within the components, they have not been designed to simulate or look like vehicular enclosures, such as cars and trucks. Thus, children cannot enjoy realistic pre-driving play experience in such prior art component play structures.
The present invention seeks to overcome the limitation of prior art components by the development of a vehicular enclosure design/configuration that looks like a car or truck. This is accomplished by producing a multi-purpose generic looking car or truck, preferable molded as a one-piece unit, having graphics and play accessories added to change the look of the car or truck. For example, with graphics and play accessories added, the car can be changed to look like a police car, racing car, and the like while the truck can be changed to look like a fire truck, loader, bulldozer and the like. The result is that children will play with a more realistic looking unit with which they will become more familiar in later life.
In addition to vehicular enclosures for use in connection with interconnected tubular play structures the vehicular enclosure car or truck design/configuration can also be used in free standing playground units, as well.
Among the several objects and advantages of the present invention are:
The provision of a vehicular enclosure, such as a car or truck, for use with interconnected tubular play structures or free standing playground units;
The provision of the aforementioned vehicular enclosure which can be formed either as a car or truck;
The provision of the aforementioned vehicular enclosure which is designed/configured as a multi-purpose generic unit which, when modified by graphics and play accessories, can be changed to look like different types of cars and trucks;
The provision of the aforementioned vehicular enclosure which is formed as a one-piece molded plastic unit that incorporates a rear entry opening for ingress and egress of children;
The provision of the aforementioned vehicular enclosure in which the rear entry opening is sufficiently large to permit two children to pass one another during ingress or egress relative to the enclosure; and
The provision of the aforementioned vehicular enclosure which includes windows and simulated driving components such as a steering wheel to enhance the play experience.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the description that follows.
Briefly stated, the present invention includes a one-piece molded plastic vehicular enclosure for children. The enclosure has a length substantially greater then its width and height and includes opposing top and bottom surfaces and opposing side surfaces interconnecting the top and bottom surfaces. Further, the enclosure includes opposing front and rear surfaces extending between the top and bottom surfaces and side surfaces. The rear surface includes a rear entry opening for ingress and egress of children into and out of the vehicular enclosure. The rear entry opening has a height and width substantially equal to the distance between the top and bottom surfaces to facilitate ingress and egress into the vehicular enclosure by children. Preferably, the rear entry opening is defined by a cylindrical extension that extends from the rear surface.
The vehicular enclosure may be either a car or truck which includes windows to facilitate viewing by children. For this purpose, non-transparent window areas are removed from the one-piece molded plastic vehicular enclosure and replaced by transparent windows attached to the enclosure.
The multi-purpose generic vehicular enclosure structure, configured either as a car or truck, can be changed to look like a variety of different cars or trucks, depending on graphics and accessories added to visually change the overall look of the vehicular enclosure. Within the vehicular enclosure, simulated driving components including a steering wheel may also be provided.
The vehicular enclosure through its cylindrical extension may be connected to interconnected tubular play structures, or alternatively, a vehicular enclosure may be used as a free standing playground unit.